1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains generally to a security box used for protection against the shoplifting of something of value stored therein, and more specifically to an improved lockable, at least partially transparent or windowed container that may be used to securely enclose a recorded media such as a video cassette and wherein the improvement relates to the structure of the locking mechanism therefor.
2. Prior Art
The principal contemporary solution to the problem of shoplifting or pilfering of rentable video cassettes and the like, consists of keeping the actual video cassette away from the public in an area where only employees can access the desired video tape cassette when a customer brings an empty video cassette package to them expressing his or her desire to rent or purchase that particular cassette. While such a technique is effective in preventing the shoplifting and pilfering of video cassettes, it is costly in terms of additional labor required by employees to access the actual video tape. It is also inefficient from an overhead standpoint because it requires additional storage space for the cassettes which must be stored apart from their containers, thereby effectively doubling the space requirements for a library of rentable video cassettes. The problem of shoplifting and pilfering also extends to audio compact discs, the packaging for which is undergoing a change in the industry due to ecological considerations. More specifically, the elongated, large paper containers that were effective in reducing shoplifting of such compact discs are becoming obsolete in favor of smaller packages which are much more easily removed illegally from a retail facility. Consequently, there is a need to secure small and relatively valuable audio/visual articles in removable security packages to inhibit shoplifting. There have been a number of prior art patents illustrating the prior attempts to produce such a package but unfortunately all of them have proved unsatisfactory for one reason or another. The predominant reason is related to the cost and complexity of elaborate locking devices designed to prevent the unauthorized removal of the contents of such security packages at the shelf site by a customer who intends to shoplift or otherwise tamper with the contents thereof. The following patents, all of which constitute prior art to the present invention, are examples of such attempts.
U.S. Pat. No. Des. 302,945 Mortensen et al U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,285,429 MacTavish 4,589,549 Hehn 4,634,004 Mortensen 4,718,547 MacTavish 4,753,347 Bellante et al 4,759,442 Gregerson et al 4,805,769 Soltis et al 4,819,797 Holmgren 4,834,238 Hehn et al 4,865,190 Gregerson et al 4,871,065 Hehn et al 4,962,854 Ricci 4,966,283 Sykes et al 4,987,999 Hehn 4,988,000 Weisburn et al 5,039,982 Bruhwiler.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,834,238 to Hehn et al is directed to a reusable one-piece molded plastic package for use as a security and display package for cassettes. The package is a one-piece molded plastic unit having a hanger or handle, 4 in FIG. 1, and of sufficient size to deter unauthorized removal from retail outlet. Media housing 3, with cassette storage compartment 10, is integrally connected to a hanger 4 by sidewall sections 7 (FIG. 1). Cutouts 14 and 16 enable contents of compartment 10 to be examined for title, artist, etc. imprinted on cassette stored therein. With cassette in place within compartment 10, slide plate 20 with living hinges 24 and 25 is moved into position (FIGS. 11, 12 and 13), and is engaged with lock housing 18 for locking cassette into compartment 10. Release of cassette is possible by sales clerk using a key shown in FIGS. 23 and 25. Utilization of the device described may be applied to other media formats, such as CD's by modifications shown in FIGS. 26 and 31. The locking device is best seen and understood by referring to FIGS. 21 and 22.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,819,797 to Holmgren is directed to a seal for a box enclosing a compact disc or tape cassette including video cassettes and the like. The box comprises two rectangular box halves which are hingedly connected to one another by living hinges. The system provides for a blocking element to be applied to the box, thus preventing the box from being opened without a special tool for unlocking the latch mechanism. The box described is made of a plastic material with at least a portion thereof being transparent, such that informational text on the disc or cassette within the box may be exposed to the outside surface for reference thereto. Referring to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, the seal of the invention in the form of a U-shaped blocking box, is applied to the closed box by positioning the flat web 14 against the outside surface of box 10, while flap 17 of the bow is inserted into one of the two opposite edge apertures 13 in box half 11. The sockets 18 provided on the other end are inserted in the opposite edge aperture 13 provided for this purpose. Applied in this manner, the blocking bow keeps the two box halves together and prevents opening without the use of a special tool utilized by the cashier upon selling of the merchandise. An alternative latch mechanism is shown in FIGS. 4-8. Again, this device can be unlocked by utilizing a special tool such as by inserting two pins 26 into openings 25 and pressing the pins against the limbs of element 20 so that the projection 21 is disengaged. One example of an unlocking apparatus is shown in FIGS. 14-18 when used with reference to FIGS. 4-6. Application of this device to video cassettes requires modifications which are shown in FIGS. 19-22. The latch mechanism used in conjunction with the video tape application of this invention may be seen in FIGS. 23 and 24.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,589,549 to Hehn is directed to a molded plastic package for displaying and securing audio cassettes and discs. One form of the package shown in FIGS. 3-6 is a one-piece molded plastic unit of high impact polystyrene. Referring to FIG. 3, one sees a locking device 35 mounted on cassette housing 5 for locking cassette 3 into storage compartment 11 until removal is desired by a sales clerk using a manually actuated key. This key is shown as numeral 37 in FIG. 11. Latching of the device is made possible by projections 71 and 72 engaging locking nubs 60 mounted on locking levers 40 and 41, as seen in FIG. 14. When slide plate 38 is in this forward locking position, cassette 3 is securely retained within its compartment and unauthorized removal is prevented. Locking nubs 60 may be disengaged from projections 71 and 72 by utilizing key 37.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,285,429 to MacTavish describes another security container for a tape cassette. As seen in FIG. 1, the security device 10 includes a rectangularly shaped container 11 for receiving a tape cassette 12. The cassette 12 is retained within the housing 11 by a locking mechanism which includes a plug member 13 and a specially constructed key member 14. As seen in FIG. 4, the surfaces of the cassette may be viewed through the entry opening 22 and other display openings 50, 51, and 52. The device described is another example of a reusable display and security container for video tapes, cassette tapes, and CD's.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,039,982 to Bruhwiler is directed to a casing to be used as a security device for tape recording cassette containers. Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the casing 11 is made of a transparent plastic and has a hollow space 2 for receiving a cassette therein. The casing includes at its inner side a commonly known element 25, which may trigger an alarm. Locking of the cassette into the casing is made possible by locking bodies 10 mounted on base disc 11 which holds the cover 16 of the cassette container by means of end section 12 (see FIGS. 1 and 2). In order to separate the tape recording cassette container from the casing 1, the interconnection between the locking body 10 and the base disc 11 which is shown as a weakened zone 13, must be ruptured using a special tool device.
Each of the aforementioned prior art patents discloses a security container which is too complex, too costly, not sufficiently secure or otherwise unsatisfactory for the intended purpose.